Light bulb bill goes dark in House

House lawmakers Tuesday stymied an initial effort by Republicans to put an end to infamous light bulb efficiency standards.

The bill from Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) to repeal part of a 2007 energy law requiring traditional incandescent light bulbs to be 30 percent more energy efficient beginning in 2012 failed to get the necessary two-thirds support needed for approval under expedited rules. A majority of members — 233 — supported the repeal, including five Democrats. Ten Republicans joined 183 Democrats opposing the measure.

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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi personally whipped Democratic Caucus members to vote against the bill, a Democratic aide told POLITICO.

“I was concerned that Ms. Pelosi might make it a litmus test issue in her caucus, and she did,” Barton said after the vote. “We only got 5 Democrat votes. Everybody in the Blue Dog caucus and the Black caucus that voted no, voted against their constituents.

"I thought I had 25 at a minimum. I thought, if it were truly a free vote, I thought we’d pass it on suspension,” he added.

Barton said his plan is to move the measure under a regular rule requiring only majority support or as a spending bill amendment.

"We can put it on an appropriations bill. We can back it under a rule. I can try and go to some of the Democrats who didn’t vote for it and figure out a way to get them to consider voting for it in a little bit of a different format," he said.

The expedited procedure used Tuesday is normally meant to fast-track noncontentious bills without committee consideration, such as post office namings, and requires two-thirds support from those present and voting and does not allow for amendments.

The bill would fall under the jurisdiction of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, whose chairman — Michigan Republican Fred Upton — helped put the efficiency language in the 2007 bill.

Upton reversed his stance on the language he helped co-author with Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) — and was signed into law by then-President George W. Bush.

Upton’s change of heart came as he was trying to shore up his conservative credentials while running for the energy panel chairmanship.

The light bulb efficiency standard has become a symbol of federal government stymieing of consumer choice that has been roundly attacked by conservatives.

Barton had expressed confidence before the vote that he could secure the necessary support of at least 40 Democrats and win as many as 300 votes overall.

One of the original Republican co-sponsors of the bill — Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) — voted “present” mainly due to language added to the measure trumping states.